Hidden Affection - Chapter 07

Jiang Peng was so excited it was as if he had found a few million on the road; on the way back, he praised Su Xin enthusiastically over the phone.

“President Su, rest assured, our Azhi is skilled at whatever she does. Today’s shoot went very smoothly, and Director Mei even praised her in front of the entire crew, saying Azhi has talent far beyond her expectations.”

Not only did he praise, but he also exaggerated.

Su Xin came to check on the performance of their mainstay; upon hearing that everything was going smoothly, she didn’t listen to any more of his nonsense and hung up the phone.

Jiang Peng still had countless praises left unsaid, holding the phone with a face full of lingering satisfaction.

He simply turned his head away and said to Ning Zhi, “I’ve inquired, and Director Mei expected this scene to take a week to finish, but I didn’t expect you to get it done in just one day.”

Ning Zhi was playing with her phone, picking out the necessary WeChat messages to reply to.

Hearing Jiang Peng say this, she lifted her eyelids slightly and said淡淡地, “It wasn’t me who handled it, it was Shen Yizhi who handled it.”

She paused for a moment, pressing harder on the phone screen, resentful, yet powerless like a small animal trapped in a snare: “She was guiding me throughout the entire scene.”

…

…

From an outsider’s perspective, she and Shen Yizhi worked very well together, but she knew clearly that except for the first few lines, she could only remember the techniques Shen Yizhi taught her to immerse herself in similar emotions she had experienced.

Later on, she couldn’t remember anything, couldn’t tell if she was Chi Sheng or Ning Zhi, completely lost in Shen Yizhi’s softness, even her thoughts were occupied and controlled by her.

None of the reactions were acted; they were all her genuine responses.

Ning Zhi was somewhat afraid, and it was only then that those feelings still lingered in her heart.

Of course, it wasn’t real, but their intimate embrace was real, the kiss was real. Shen Yizhi’s lips were burning hot, pressed against hers; her skin was smooth and soft, her eyes charming and moist, her voice seemed to cling like honey, yet also like opium—knowing it was poison, but making one willingly addicted.

From the beginning, Shen Yizhi had warned her not to get too deeply into the role.

Ning Zhi didn’t take it seriously at the time, thinking how deep could it really be? Could she not tell the difference between on-screen and off-screen?

Until today’s scene was filmed, Ning Zhi got scared.

She didn’t dare to think any further, her fingers randomly tapping on the screen as if to cover it.

Anyway, the scene was acted very well,” Jiang Peng said casually, then regretfully added, “It’s a pity we can’t post the video online, otherwise it would shut those haters up. You shouldn’t log into Weibo for a while; they’re cursing…

As he spoke, he turned around and saw Ning Zhi in the back seat opening the Weibo app, and he immediately scolded her.

Ning Zhi, who is always surfing at the forefront, is wherever the gossip is; she has a strong heart and is even fiercer than the haters when confronting people.

Jiang Peng swallowed his worries about her being affected by the haters’ comments and instead said, “Slow down your internet speed a bit, and make sure not to reveal your alternate accounts. Don’t switch to your main account unnecessarily.”

Ning Zhi’s main account is managed by a dedicated person, but sometimes she likes to post photos and videos herself to interact with her fans.

“Oh.” She replied casually.

“Huh? How did your alt account get a yellow V?” Jiang Peng’s eyes were sharp; he immediately noticed the yellow V she had just successfully applied for today.

Ning Zhi paused for a moment and said casually, “I just got certified as a small host for the super topic.”

Jiang Peng nodded, thinking she had applied to be the host of his own super topic, embedding herself among the fans. This was probably a unique case in the circle.

Ning Zhi looked at the certification information displayed on the screen: Shen Yizhi Super Topic Junior Host, and suddenly felt a wave of irritation. She wanted to exit Weibo but accidentally clicked on an advertisement.

The interface switched, taking her to the advertisement page.

Ning Zhi actually let out a sigh of relief. As long as she could stay a little farther away from Shen Yizhi and avoid seeing those three words again, the advertisement wasn’t so bad.

She forced herself to shift her attention and started looking at the advertisement page on her phone.

It’s an advertisement for a social app called Orange.

Ning Zhi: “…” It’s really full of orange vibes.

After same-sex marriage was legalized, these social apps no longer kept a low profile. One after another, they popped up, trying to capture the market. In just this one month, Ning Zhi has already seen three apps with similar positioning.

She stepped back, just as a WeChat message came in from Yan Jin, who debuted on the same talent show variety program as her.

After the talent show ended, everyone went their separate ways. Yan Jin didn’t sign with an agency and became an independent musician. She’s been working around third- and fourth-tier cities, and recently released an electronic album, which Ning Zhi helped promote.

“I want to recommend an app to you; it’s very stress-relieving.” Yan Jin got straight to the point as soon as she spoke, sending the app’s name before Ning Zhi could ask.

Orange.

Ning Zhi: “?”

She just saw an advertisement for this app.

Yan Jin, like a gust of wind, sent a long string of replies, with notification sounds ringing continuously, causing Jiang Peng in the front seat to frequently turn his head to look.

It’s really stress-relieving. I met a young lady, and she speaks so beautifully.

I released an album recently and was under tremendous pressure with nowhere to vent, so I told her everything.

After speaking, the pressure was reduced by more than half. It feels really good to have someone listen to me seriously.

Ning Zhi: “Put on some clothes, will you.jpg.”

Yan Jin also replied with an emoji, then said, “I’m serious, just try it.”

Ning Zhi smiled and replied, “I’m busy, go play by yourself.” He sent off this chatterbox.

She turned her head to look at the night view receding outside the window, lost in thought for a moment, then lowered her head, searched for “orange,” and clicked download.

The app is small and downloaded in less than two minutes.

Ning Zhi opened it; the interface was beautifully designed with many features, including various matching methods and a square similar to a “tree hole” where many people posted anonymous statuses. There were numerous comments below, some offering guidance, some teasing, and some joking around. Ning Zhi casually clicked and looked through them.

Arrived at the hotel’s underground parking lot.

Ning Zhi pushed open the car door. Jiang Peng walked beside her, habitually looking around to make sure no one was secretly filming before saying, “What do you want to eat tonight?”

Anything is fine.” Ning Zhi replied absentmindedly, opening the registration page and choosing the first picture from her album as her avatar. It was a Samoyed puppy with an innocent face, having chewed up a toy. The image also had the words, “What bad intentions could a little puppy have?

Ning Zhi used this phrase as her nickname.

Almost all of her alternate accounts used this set of avatar and nickname, including her Weibo alternate account.

The elevator stopped briefly on the first floor, and Ning Zhi stood in the corner continuing to complete her registration information.

Jiang Peng’s voice suddenly became enthusiastic: “Teacher Shen.”

Ning Zhi subconsciously looked up and saw Shen Yizhi walking in from outside.

Their eyes met, and Ning Zhi’s ears immediately went quiet, her lips instantly feeling as hot as when touched by Shen Yizhi’s fingertips.

The lipstick on her lips had been wiped clean with a wet wipe on set, but her first instinct was still to raise her hand and wipe it again.

Shen Yizhi, however, remained calm and composed, smiling at Ning Zhi through the crowd in the elevator, as a way of greeting.

“Teacher Shen, have you eaten?” Jiang Peng started chatting warmly, constantly signaling to Ning Zhi to call someone over.

Ning Zhi struggled to control her hand and had no intention of paying attention to this person. She simply pretended not to see him, coldly lowered her head, and continued filling out the registration information on the screen.

Not yet.

Ning Zhi stared at the screen, hearing Shen Yizhi’s tone calm, polite enough, and sufficiently distant.

Jiang Peng continued with small talk, clearly wanting to build a good relationship with Shen Yizhi’s side, making future negotiations about resources or other matters more convenient.

But the one who spoke to him again was Shen Yizhi’s assistant.

The elevator reached the floor, and the group seemed to get along well as they talked while walking out. Ning Zhi lagged behind, filling in the registration form, currently at the relationship status section.

She was torn between being single and married, when out of the corner of her eye she noticed someone ahead slowing down to wait for her.

Ning Zhi looked up and saw it was Shen Yizhi.

Shen Yizhi waited for her to catch up, then walked beside her and glanced at the screen in her hand.

Feeling her gaze, Ning Zhi’s hand trembled and she directly selected “married.”

She felt a sudden pang of guilt and involuntarily looked at Shen Yizhi, noticing that the corners of her lips had slightly curled up, clearly smiling.

Ning Zhi felt a tingling sensation in her heart, a mix of happiness and a bit of bitterness. She stubbornly muttered, “What’s so funny?”

They were already married, each getting what they needed; even if they didn’t talk about feelings, the marriage certificate was still a marriage certificate.

It was written in black and white, stamped by the Civil Affairs Bureau—did she still want to deny it?

After mumbling, Ning Zhi felt uneasy again. She glanced sideways with the corner of her eye and saw that Shen Yizhi’s smile seemed even deeper, spreading all the way to his eyes.

The orange-yellow light in the corridor usually seemed a bit dim, but now, shining on Shen Yizhi’s delicate brows and gentle smile, it felt like the tender warmth of an early autumn night with a slight chill.

The little joy in Ning Zhi’s heart seemed to be growing. Afraid that Shen Yizhi would notice, she quickly slipped her phone into her pocket and walked straight ahead without looking sideways, putting on a cool demeanor of “I don’t want to talk to you.”

Jiang Peng and the others walked ahead, chatting familiarly and occasionally glancing back at them.

This hotel is very large. After stepping out of the elevator and passing through the brightly lit lobby, you turn into the corridor, which is covered with a thick, soft carpet. When people walk on it, there is only the faint sound of footsteps rubbing against the carpet.

Ning Zhi felt the people around her looking at her several times, making her hand hanging by her side involuntarily clench tighter. She turned her head and glared at Shen Yizhi: “What are you looking at me for?”

Shen Yizhi seemed not to expect such a strong reaction from her. After a pause, he said, “I noticed that you get very angry every time you see me.”

Her tone was clearly normal, and there was no questioning or anger in her expression. It should have been just a casual joke, but Ning Zhi felt as if those words contained some unspeakable regret, which made her heart ache.

She felt so guilty that she was afraid of revealing any flaw. Suddenly, she looked away, her mouth stiffening a little, but she still forced herself to speak as if nothing had happened: “No, I’m not.”

After speaking, the previously pleasant mood sank to the bottom like sediment in water.

Shen Yizhi is really annoying.

the Complete book is translated over on my Patreon